Asian Disaster

How to Help

More than 220,000 people are confirmed killed by the waves and millions more are homeless.

Many governments and organisations - including the US, Canada, Australia, the EU and the UN - are sending aid.

The Disasters Emergency Committee - www.dec.org.uk
- is an umbrella group of UK aid organisations - including Action Aid,
British Red Cross and Oxfam - working to provide clean water, food and
shelter to thousands. To call from the UK, dial 0870 60 60 900.

The United Nations World Food Programme - www.wfp.org - is seeking donations to feed victims of the earthquake.

The United Nations Children's Fund, Unicef - www.unicef.org.uk - is working to meet the "urgent needs of hundreds of thousands of people" affected by the asian disaster.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR - www.unhcr.ch
- which has been helping victims of conflicts in Indonesia and Sri
Lanka, is delivering relief supplies to tsunami survivors in both
countries.

The World Health Organization - www.who.int - is helping local health authorities establish early warning systems for disease outbreaks.

Anti-poverty organisation Care International - www.care.org - has already provided food for thousands of affected people in Sri Lanka.

Cafod, the Catholic
Agency for Overseas Development - www.cafod.org.uk
- is working with partners across Asia to provide shelter, food aid and
medical assistance, and assessing what further relief is needed.

The Red Cross, with its sister charity the Red Crescent,
is supplying blankets, cooking utensils and other crucial goods. It has
had to set up a new site - www.ifrc.org - because of the unprecedented demand from people wanting to make donations.

The Hindu Forum Disaster Relief Task Force - www.hinduforum.org
- comprises 50 organisations and is raising money, clothes and
medicines. Donations can be made online or by calling the ISKCON
Disaster Appeal on 01923 856848 or Sewa International on 0116 261 0303.

Christian Aid - www.christianaid.org.uk - has already allocated £250,000 from its emergency fund to help the victims of this disaster but says more money is needed.

Christian charity Tearfund - www.tearfund.org
- and its partners in Sri Lanka and India are helping devastated
fishing communities and coastal villages get back on their feet.

Islamic Relief - www.islamic-relief.com - has also launched an appeal to provide medical supplies, tents and sanitation facilities for those affected.

The YMCA's international relief and development agency www.ycare.org.uk
has raised more than £2m. The money is being sent to YMCAs in India and
Sri Lanka which are organising distribution of food, clothing and
medicine.

The Islamic Aid Emergency Relief Fund - www.islamicaid.org.uk - aims to provide immediate relief and long-term support to people in the affected areas.

Another Islamic charity, Muslim Hands - www.muslimhands.org - is collecting money and sending volunteers to help in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Medair - www.medair.org
- is providing emergency support to agencies with a long-term presence
in Sri Lanka and its medical experts are assessing the likelihood of
malaria and diarrhoea.

Handicap International - www.handicap-international.org.uk-
is focusing its efforts on helping displaced people, disabled people
and vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, elderly people and
children. It is trying to raise £425,000.

World Vision - www.worldvision.org.uk - has also launched an appeal and has already delivered relief goods to thousands.

The International Medical Corps www.imcworldwide.org.ukis
a humanitarian organisation providing healthcare, nutrition and
training. In Aceh, Indonesia, it is helping to deliver medical
assistance, nutrition, sanitation and counselling.

Concern - www.concern.net
- is working with local partners to meet the needs of families in the
devastated coastal villages of Tamil Nadu, the worst-affected state in
India.

The International Rescue Committee - www.theirc.org - is providing emergency supplies and materials to "people most affected by the crisis".

The Salvation Army - www.salvationarmy.org.uk has local teams working in a number of affected areas and has sent a team from its international headquarters.

Action Aid - www.actionaid.org
- is the biggest charity working in south India. It is focusing its
relief work on the coast of Tamil Nadu, where 7,000 people died. It is
working on providing medical assistance and sanitation for the
survivors.

Oxfam - www.oxfam.org.uk
- is active in Indonesia, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka
and India. Their relief operations include distributing food packs and
hygiene kits and setting up water and sanitation facilities.

Asia Quake Relief Appeal UK, a UK-based Sri Lankan organisation, is also raising money and can be e-mailed at asia-quakerelief@europe.com.

World Jewish Aid - www.worldjewishaid.org.uk
- is working with local partners in India, Indonesia and other affected
areas to help survivors threatened by water contamination and disease.